Early twentieth-century America witnessed a large influx of immigrants largely
from eastern and southern Europe as well as the Near East. The major “pull”
factor stimulating the growth of migration was the rise of several American
industries and a growing demand for laborers. In addition to the demand for
immigrant labor, rising concern over political and economic conditions in the
homeland resulted in a process of chain migration of Ottoman ethnic and
religious groups from particular regions. By analyzing both “pull” and “push”
factors triggering an out-migration from the Harput vilayet, as well as the
migration trajectories of the Turkish immigrants, this dissertation argues that
existing ethnic and social networks determined the settlement and employment
patterns and inevitably affected the acculturation processes of Turkish
immigrants in the United States. Specifically, this study contends that while the
Turkish immigrants on the North Shore of Boston assimilated into American life,
iv
they also participated in the process of Turkish nation-building, maintained old
home networks and transnational engagements.